The present invention involves the ejection of ink drops by way of forming gas or vapor bubbles in a bubble forming liquid. This principle is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 (Stemme). Each pixel in the printed image is derived ink drops ejected from one or more ink nozzles. In recent years, inkjet printing has become increasing popular primarily due to its inexpensive and versatile nature. Many different aspects and techniques for inkjet printing are described in detail in the above cross referenced documents.
Clogging is one of the principle causes of nozzle failure. Nozzles can clog from dried ink and contaminants in the ink. However, paper dust attaching to the exterior of the nozzle plate is another cause of clogging. The airborne paper dust adheres to the nozzle plate by ‘stiction’ as it is known. Capping and maintenance cycles help to clean paper dust away, but often the stiction between the dust particle and the nozzle plate and the too strong.